Always
by SpaceRanger
Summary: When you think that no one cares, someone comes to prove you wrong...


**DISCLAIMER: **_All of the characters in this fix are not mine. They are the property of Nickelodeon Network. Hope you enjoy! Comments and complaints welcomed! :-)_

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**Author's Note:**_ I hadn't planned to write this at all but since a certain muse of mine *cough* Alpha *coughs* like the show and the music that came from another show the little android bugged me all morning to write this. But, enough talk from me, read on most of all ENJOY!!! *grins*_

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Always

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By:SpaceRanger

There was a speck in the distance and if anyone even cared to take a second glance at it they still won't have noticed that something was different about that speck. Not unless you get closer look, of course. Once you do you'd see a lone fifteen-year-old girl sitting under an old oak tree muttering something under her breath that no one could make out.

_

It's been a long road getting from there to here

_

It's been a long time, but my time is finally near

and I can feel the change in the wind right now

Nothing's in my way

and they're not gonna hold me down no more

No they're not gonna hold me down 

Normally when something like this happens, someone could recall in disgust at the girl and walk away. All who did would think that she was someone who needed to be in the Looney bin with all the other insane people who talk to themselves. Lord knows that she should have been, yet somehow she was able to keep herself sane.

_To keep myself sane is a __miracle_. She laughed bitterly at her predicament. Normally she wouldn't have cared about it but nearly fifteen years of this just isn't fair. _Why me? Why must I be the one who surfer through this._ She hugged her knees toward her feeling a familiar tremble in her body and bit her lip until blood came out.

_I won't cry. I refused to cry._ She faltered a bit. _If I do...I'd be giving in to the disappointments and failures that...NO!! _This ground was too dangerous to cross. If she tried it she wouldn't be able to stop crying.

_It's not like anyone cares about it._ Her thoughts were like bitter aftertastes of her life. _I still won't cry! I won't give them the satisfaction of seeing how weak I am!_

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Cause I've got faith of the heart I'm going where my heart will take me

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I've got faith to believe I can do anything

I've got strength of the soul and no one's gonna bend or break me

I can reach any star, I've got faith, I've got I've got I've got faith....faith of the heart 

Surprise Surprise, outside her persona she was the weakest person and thankfully, none of her schoolmates knew it. It just didn't seem fair for her to go through everything that made her this way. _It's no wonder I hated *her* when I was still a kid._

Something began to build up in her eyes and she shut it tightly, refusing to let it flow. The cold November winds blew harshly at her valuable body and stabbed at parts of her exposed skin. Her body was numbed with cold but she didn't notice or even cared to notice as a lone tear trickled down her cheek. Suddenly something fell across her shoulders and a deep, yet familiar voice spoke to her.

"Here." She looked up in shock and forgot to put up the mask that she always wore in front of others.

"Wh--What are you doing here?!" He didn't answer as the blurred figure quickly stuck her arms within the sleeves of the brown coat and zip it up. She shivered as the coat that stored his body heat transferred this heat into her body.

"You've grown too thin, you should be eating more."

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It's been a long night trying to find my way

Been through the darkness, now I've finally had my day

and I will see my dream come alive at last I will touch the sky

And they're not gonna hold me down no more no they're not gonna change my mind 

"Why? It's not like anyone would care." She spat indignantly at the way this...ignorant idiot just interrupted her broodings. He looked indifferent to her comment and tugged her arm and practically dragged her along. 

"That's where you're wrong."

"Really? Care to enlighten me on who really would actually 'care' enough to even give a damn about little old me? I mean, not even my "oh so caring family" really notices me that well!!! At least when you're down you have your family to turn to! Me? I got no one!" Caught up in her ranting she didn't even notice that she had entered a house and was sitting on the couch wrapped in a thick blanket until a spoon of warm chocolate tasting liquid was fed to her causing her to be silent.

"Why do you think that you're not good enough?" She looked down at the bowl.

"Because it's true."

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Cause I've got faith of the heart I'm going where my heart will take me

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I've got faith to believe I can do anything

I've got strength of the soul and no one's gonna bend or break me

I can reach any star, I've got faith, I've got I've got I've got faith....faith of the heart 

"It's *not*. We are what we make ourselves to be and if you can't understand that then...what's the point?"

"I do understand it...it's just hard when I'm shoved aside constantly, no matter what I do. This is all I have to catch attention."

"Helga, listen to me, what ever you do, do it for yourself and for your own happiness. Don't continue on this track! I can see that it's slowly killing you and your spirit! I don't want to wake up one morning and find your name under the obituary section due to suicide!" Her eyes widened in digest at the suggestion.

"I don't want to kill myself. It's just plain useless to do so."

"That's what you say now but it will happen. You're suffocating yourself under these doubts that you have and that itself is dangerous not only to your body but to your mind!"

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I'm going where the winds so cold, to see the darkest days

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But now the winds are free...only winds have changed

I've been to the fire and I've been to the rain

But I'll be fine cause I've got faith, faith of the heart

"What's the use, Arnold?! It's not like anyone even cares!!"

"I care!" Helga's eyes widened in shock at the words that was spoken.

"But...but...I thought that...you didn't like me..." An eyebrow was raised.

"Whoever told you that lied to you. I cared about you a lot. It's just hard to let you know when you continuously tell yourself that you're not good enough while pushing people away from you with that persona of yours." She looked down at the cup that was held between their hands. She laughed softly as he took the cup from her.

"I guess I was acting pretty stupid huh?" He smiled and shrugged his shoulders as he sat down beside her.

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Cause I've got faith of the heart I'm going where my heart will take me

_

I've got faith to believe I can do anything

I've got strength of the soul and no one's gonna bend or break me

I can reach any star, I've got , I've got I've got I've got faith....faith of the heart

faith of the heart I'm going where my heart will take me

I've got faith to believe and no one's gonna bend or break

I can reach any star, cause I've got faith, cause I've got faith, faith of the heart 

"I'm not surprised."

"So...did you tell me that to shock me into seeing myself as what I am or is it true." He faked a wounded look that caused a smile to tug at her lips.

"I'm hurt that you could think such a thing! But yes, it is true. I do care about you." She flung herself into his arms and felt him envelope her into a hug.

"Thank you Arnold...thank you for caring." He tightened his arms around her as if he didn't want to lose this fragile girl that he had come to feel concerned for.

"I always will"

"Where do we go from here?" Arnold smiled and shrugged again.

"I don't know. We're still young Helga but what ever fate throws at us we'll survive it."

"Ever the optimist aren't you Arnold?" He grinned at her.

"I don't believe in optimism. I've got faith..."

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It's been a long road.... 

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_A/N: This song doesn't not belong to me. It belongs to Russell Watson, Diane Warren, and Rod Stewart._


End file.
